


The List

by scullywolf



Series: TXF: Scenes in Between [54]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Gen, Mention of Assault, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-20 23:04:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4805537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scullywolf/pseuds/scullywolf





	The List

_“What’s wrong, Scully?”  
“I’m just ready to get out of here.”_

Something had rattled her, and he knew it. The tension in her shoulders alone would have given her away, but the set of her jaw and the barely-suppressed rush in her steps confirmed it. He knew better than to say anything more until they were out of the prison entirely; she needed to appear strong and unperturbed, to whatever extent that was possible, in the face of whatever had spooked her.

She said nothing more than was absolutely necessary as they got checked out and reclaimed their weapons. It wasn’t until they drove out the front gates and back toward the motel that she finally closed her eyes and blew out a long-held breath.

“Got a bit _Silence of the Lambs_ in there, didn’t it?” he said lightly, suspecting there was more to it than that but giving her an opening.

“I followed a gut feeling and had a look down the hallway while you were questioning Speranza,” she said quietly, her voice deliberately steady. “After I looked around Manley’s cell, and Fournier went back to check on you, I continued down the hall. I couldn’t honestly tell you why.”

“Did you see something?”

“Not initially. The hall led to the showers, and while I was looking around, someone jumped me from behind." 

He looked at her, startled. "Are you hurt?"

"No, he grabbed me and put his hand across my mouth, but he said he didn't want to hurt me. That he wanted to help our investigation."

"Was it an inmate?"

She shook her head. "A guard. Or, at least, someone in a guard's uniform."

Mulder frowned. That didn't make sense. "Why wouldn't a guard just come talk to us, if he had information? What did he say?”

“He told me that a prisoner named Roque is in possession of a list. A list of five men Neech Manley wanted dead.”

“Let me guess. The dead guard’s name is on that list.”

“He didn’t say. He took off when Fournier came looking for me.” She rubbed her palms against her slacks. “I’m sorry. We probably should go back and question this man Roque--”

“It can wait. I don’t think he’s going anywhere,” he said with a grin, pulling the car into the parking lot of a diner near the motel. His expression sobered as he parked and shut off the engine. “This guard, though. What was he doing in the showers?”

“I don’t know.” He saw her try and fail to fully suppress a shudder. “He must have followed me. I guess he didn’t want to say anything about this list of Roque’s in front of the inmates.”

“Or any of the other guards, apparently.” He frowned again. “Doesn’t justify assaulting an FBI agent though. We should report the incident to the warden.”

She shook her head. “It’s okay, Mulder. I’m fine. Let’s get some dinner and go over what we know so far.”

He clenched his jaw, hesitating. He hated that she felt like she had to put up with stuff like this, like she had to prove how tough she was. (Not to him. She didn’t have to prove anything to him. Hell, he knew better than anyone what she’d been through and how she always managed to come out fighting on the other side.) But to the men in the prison, not just the inmates but the warden and guards as well, she would never want to behave in a way that could be perceived as weakness.

What was worse, she was probably right; raising a complaint against the guard could very possibly derail their investigation, could make the warden even less willing to work with them on this. He met her eyes and could see the cold determination settling there as she made the conscious choice to put the incident behind her and focus on the case. Sighing, he nodded.

“Okay.”


End file.
